/// Passive fire protection in Brentwood
Brentwood is a commuter town, and since the Elizabeth line reached Brentwood and Shenfield more of its homes have been built as apartments close to the stations. Alongside them are retirement and assisted-living developments, period houses split into flats along the main roads, and offices and shops in the town centre.
Retirement buildings deserve particular care: residents may move more slowly and depend on fire doors holding back smoke for longer. We cover all of Brentwood borough, from Pilgrims Hatch to Ingatestone, and arrange work so residents are disturbed as little as possible.
Fire doors in Brentwood
In retirement and assisted-living blocks, door closers are often adjusted or removed because residents find the doors heavy. That stops the door doing its job. There are better answers, such as free-swing or hold-open devices linked to the fire alarm, where the fire risk assessment allows them. We inspect and maintain doors with that in mind, and fit new doorsets where the old ones can't be brought back to standard.
Fire stopping and compartmentation in Brentwood
Apartment blocks near the stations often have shared plant, risers and car park ceilings full of services. Every pipe, duct and cable tray through a compartment wall or floor needs a seal that has been tested for it. We survey and fix fire stopping, and make sure meter cupboards on escape routes are properly enclosed.
What we check in Brentwood buildings
- Flat entrance doors in retirement and assisted-living developments
- Closers removed or slackened because doors felt too heavy
- Hold-open and free-swing devices: are they linked to the fire alarm?
- Penetrations through car park ceilings and plant room walls
- Riser doors and meter cupboards on corridors
Rules that apply to Brentwood buildings
Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005
Requires a fire risk assessment for the common parts of blocks of flats and all non-domestic buildings, including flat entrance doors since the Fire Safety Act 2021.
Fire Safety (England) Regulations 2022
Over 11 metres: communal fire doors checked every three months, flat entrance doors yearly (best endeavours).
BS 8214:2016
The code of practice for specifying, installing and maintaining timber fire door assemblies.
Nearby areas we cover: Havering Chelmsford Basildon